All Australian degrees are guaranteed by the government to reach set standards. If all IT degrees are created equal, how do you choose where to study? What do you need to be more than standard?

There is an answer.

It lies in knowing what people learn while doing a degree.

The cognitive factors – the specific knowledge required for the degree.

And the non-cognitive factors – the other things students learn which can set them up for success.

A 2012 paper by the University of Chicago (Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: The Role of Noncognitive Factors in Shaping School Performance) points to five key, non-cognitive factors which can result in improved academic performance and positive life outcomes.

These are:

• Mindset
• Perseverance
• Behaviours
• Learning Strategies
• Social and emotional skills.

And, fortunately for students considering a degree course, these can be learned. The right environment can teach students to believe in their own ability to succeed.

And while most academics will agree with the findings of the study, it can be hard for Australian students to find an institution which actively promotes these qualities.

Rather than look in the traditional places, where there often seems to be a hands-off approach to non-curricular learning, students should look to smaller institutions like Melbourne Institute of Technology.

With smaller classes, they’re able to provide more access to teachers and academics which can support crucial learning strategies like making a plan and finding help when it’s needed.

This can also support and grow the necessary behaviours which will serve students long into their career. Read More…